1 The barbeque was supposed to be a lot of fun. So far it had only been a real pain. First, she wanted my burger. I would not let her have it. Then she wanted some of my fruit. I wasn't about to give that up, either. I was mad! I swatted at her. Then the real pain started. She stung me! But who was she? I had just been stung by either a wasp or a honeybee. Which one was it?
2 Wasps and honeybees are both insects. They have a lot in common. They both fly. They both have stingers. They can both use those stingers to sting people. But they have a lot of differences, too. A honeybee's body is rounder than a wasp's. Honeybees are also hairy and have flat legs. These legs are perfect pollen collectors. Wasps, on the other hand, have longer, skinnier bodies. They also have a thin waist that links their mid and rear sections. A wasp also has legs that are shaped like cylinders.
3 Honeybees are usually the gentler of the two insects. They are usually found near flowers. Concerned with collecting pollen and carrying it back home, they do not normally bother people. Wasps, on the other hand, are predatory. While most adults eat nectar, some wasps, like yellow jackets, also look for dead insects. They feed these insects to their larvae. Some social wasps also eat fallen fruit. During the summer months, any place with food can be a wasp magnet. They are looking for food for themselves and for their young.
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